


You're Not Alone (GraTsu

by aMaskedNinja



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alpha Gajeel, Alpha Gray, Alpha Jellal, Alpha Laxus, Alpha Sting, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Anxiety, Beta Erza, College AU, Depression, Gajevy - Freeform, Gratsu - Freeform, Gray x Natsu - Freeform, Jellal x Erza - Freeform, Loke x Lucy, M/M, Omega Levy, Omega Natsu, Omega Rogue, Omegaverse, fairy tail - Freeform, gajeel x levy, male x male, mature language, mature themes, sting x rogue, stingue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:01:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMaskedNinja/pseuds/aMaskedNinja
Summary: "Natsu...you have to understand. You're not alone. I won't leave you alone..." Gray's voice was filled with sadness as he embraced the sobbing omega. He had finally touched on Natsu's past, and now all he wanted was to show the other that he wouldn't have to worry about being alone anymore.Trigger Warning: Male x Male, Mature Language, Mature Themes, Violence, Anxiety, Depression, Mpreg, ect.Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, excluding any OCs I may use.
Relationships: Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Lucy Heartfilia/Loke, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe
Comments: 9
Kudos: 100





	1. One

'Damn, it's too cold to be out here...' Natsu thought to himself as he trudged through a thin layer of snow that covered the sidewalk beneath him. It had snowed overnight, and he had not been ready for it. Usually, he didn't get cold very easily, but with the temperature below zero, well he was practically freezing.

The omega huffed quietly as he tightened his white scarf around his mouth and nose. If he didn't have class today, he would have definitely stayed home under his blankets. Of course, before heading to class, the pink haired male had his sights set on a small coffee shop near his apartment . Luckily, today would be a short day for him. Two classes, then he could get himself back home. 

As he entered the coffee shop, he was greeted by instant warmth. It felt way better in here than it did outside. The smell of fresh coffee hit his nose as he pulled his scarf down. His gaze shifted to a clock on a nearby wall. He had at least thirty minutes to kill. Thank god he didn't have to rush back out in the cold right away. Now he just had to figure out what he felt like drinking this morning. 

Decisions this early in the morning were definitely one of Natsu's weaknesses. Granted, if he hadn't stayed up all night finishing homework at the last moment, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time making a choice. Finally, after thinking over his options, Natsu approached the counter, only to be greeted by a young girl, who was also one of his classmates, and a very close friend.

"Natsu!" The girl was named Levy. She was a very small girl with beautiful blue hair that reached her shoulders. Her bangs were held back by a yellow headband with a white flower attached to it, and her brown eyes were beaming with happiness.

"Hey, Levy... I didn't think you would be here this early." The pink haired male gave his friend a gentle smile and glanced toward the menu. 

"Well, I don't have a class until later in the afternoon, so I decided to take an early shift today." The blue haired female let out a gentle laugh as she returned Natsu's smile. "Do you know what you want?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just want a large mocha with an extra espresso shot." Natsu replied as he reached toward the back pocket of his pants to retrieve his wallet. He pulled out a worn down black wallet and opened it to ensure that he had enough. 

“Alright then. Your total as usual is $4.50.” Levy had actually already punched in the order right after she saw Natsu. He had ordered the same thing every day since the first day of the semester. Now, the first semester was nearly over. All that was left was a couple more days of classes before the final exams started next week. Natsu pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it over to his friend. As Levy took the cash from Natsu and returned his change, she smiled once again. 

“Give me about five minutes and it should be ready. Until then, you should really sit down and try to warm up a little more. Your ears are looking a little red from the cold. Getting sick is the last thing you need this close to the end of the semester.” Levy had always been rather caring toward Natsu. She did her best to look out for him since he didn’t really have anyone else to do it. From what she knew, Natsu had lost his birth parents at a young age, and had been adopted by a man named Igneel. He became Natsu’s adoptive father, but when Natsu was sixteen, he had lost Igneel in a tragic car accident. The accident also left a painful reminder, a scar right along Natsu’s right cheek from where a shard of glass from the windshield had cut him. 

After Igneel’s death, Levy’s family had opened their doors and allowed him to stay with them. Ever since that day, Natsu had changed. He had been a loud and obnoxious child, but now he was often quiet and even had a lonely look in his eyes, yet he always smiled. Of course Levy knew it was to hide the pain he was feeling. As many times as she tried, he would always tell her he was fine and not to worry about him. Though that never stopped her, it only made things worse. Not only that, but Natsu had refused to stay in the dorms. Instead, he had saved up money during high school and ended up renting a nearby apartment. She had tried to talk him into staying in the dorms, but of course he refused. He had told her he didn’t want to be around all those people any longer than he had to. He had no interest in making any new friends, nor did he have any interest in possibly finding a mate. Yes, that question had come up, but he had told her he didn’t want to bother falling in love with someone who could possibly end up breaking his heart. He had already lost all of his family, he didn’t want to risk putting his heart in someone else’s hands. 

Sighing to himself, Natsu shrugged off his black backpack and sat it on the ground by the chair he sat himself down in. His gaze shifted to look out the window while he propped his arm up on the table and rested his head against his hand. The sky was filled with light grey clouds that were thick enough to prevent any sunlight from shining through them. No surprise there since it was the beginning of December. His dark eyes caught a glimpse of small white puffs falling from the sky. It had started snowing once again. Winter was his least favorite season, not only because of the could, but also because it was when he had lost Igneel. It was at that moment, Natsu realized just how close the anniversary of his guardian’s death was. Remembering it caused the pink haired male to clench his free fist tightly. 

‘Igneel…’ Natsu thought to himself. The hand that was clenched into a fist slowly released itself and he brought it up to his right cheek where the scar was. He traced it lightly with his fingertips as those painful memories replayed in his head once again. 

~~  
“Are you excited that it’s almost time for winter break, Natsu?” Igneel asked as he took a small glance toward the smiling pink haired teen. 

“Hell yeah! I’m looking forward to this break and Christmas!” Natsu’s grin grew even wider before he let out a soft laugh. 

Every Christmas, he and Igneel would wear ridiculous sweaters and invite Levy’s family over to spend the holidays with them. The five of them would always get together and watch different Christmas movies together. While Igneel and Levy’s father would sit in front of the TV and drink eggnog, Levy and Natsu would be helping Levy’s mother in the kitchen. After all that, they would all have a random gift exchange, usually of miscellaneous things they would find around their homes or a random gift from a nearby shop. It was always fun, and this year, Natsu had found the perfect thing to give to Levy. 

“Do you already have your gift for Levy?” Igneel asked as he reached over and lightly nudged the pink haired omega. Igneel had known from the start that Natsu would never be with Levy in a romantic way. Both of them were omegas, however they had a special bond almost like siblings. 

“Yeah I do! I can’t wait to give it to her!” Natsu shoved his adoptive father’s hand away and simply shook his head. It wasn’t anything too special, just a simple cat plushy but he knew she would love it and he really couldn’t wait to see her face when he handed it over. 

As the light turned green, Igneel started to drive again, but the sound of a horn caught his attention. When he looked up, there was a car that had failed to stop at the light. Before either of them could react, there was a loud crash, followed by complete darkness. When Natsu woke back up, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. Unable to remember what had happened, he started looking around the room, wondering where Igneel was. However, the moment he moved, he had to stop because pain shot through a majority of his body, causing him to cry out loudly. 

The loud cry caused a nurse to rush into the room. She looked relieved to see that Natsu had woken up, but there was something else in her eyes as well. Sadness, regret, something wasn’t right. Where was Igneel? He should be here beside him...unless… He looked at the nurse, his eyes wide with fear and concern.

“I-Igneel...my dad, where is he…?” Natsu asked hoarsely. His throat was dry, so dry that it hurt. When he asked that question, the nurse looked as if she were trying to find the right words to speak. 

“...You and your father were hit by a car that failed to stop at the light. The driver of the other car had been going a little faster than he should have been, and when he went to hit the breaks, he slid and crashed into you two. When paramedics arrived, they found you both in the car, unconscious. You sustained minor injuries, the worst one being a deep cut on your cheek that will most likely scar… However, your father’s injuries were much more severe since the crash was on the driver’s side… I’m terribly sorry, young man. We were unable to revive him…”   
~~  
“Natsu…” Levy’s voice hit his ears, pulling him from his thoughts. She must have been calling to him for a few minutes now because when he finally met her gaze, she had a worried expression on her face.   
“Levy… Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you. I was just lost in thought…” Natsu mumbled as he carefully took the coffee from the blue haired girl’s hand. Once the coffee left her hand, Levy threw her small arms around Natsu’s shoulder’s. It was only then that Natsu realized his eyes were wet. Had he been crying? He set the coffee down and carefully returned Levy’s hug before letting out a shaky sigh. 

“It’s going to be alright, Natsu… I’m here for you, and so is my family. Never forget that…” Levy squeezed the pink haired male tightly, and Natsu did the same. Even with a friend like her, he still felt very alone in this world. He knew she and her family would always be there, but it still felt like the hole in his heart would never be completely filled. 

“Thank you… I know that…” He spoke quietly as they slowly released each other from their embrace. It was time for him to get going. He needed to get through these two classes so he could get himself back to his apartment. Maybe finding a new job would help take his mind off of everything. He’d make a note to look after he was done for the day. 

Once he was on his feet again, he used the sleeve of his white jacket to wipe away any remaining tears and then threw his backpack back on his shoulders. Before leaving, he made sure to say goodbye to Levy and to thank her. Now it was on to his English class. Just a few more days, then it would be time for winter break.


	2. Two

The walk to his English class felt even colder than the walk to the coffee shop, even with a warm coffee in his hands. It had started snowing a bit harder as he walked, leaving small white flakes to stick in his spiky pink hair. Damn, he really despised the cold. He couldn’t wait for this weather to end. Finally, the building he needed came into view. Desperate to get out of the cold, Natsu broke into a run to get himself inside faster. 

However, along the way Natsu had missed a patch of ice and before he knew it the ground was falling out from under him. He braced for impact on the sidewalk, but it never came. His eyes shot open as he wondered what had prevented him from falling. It was at that moment, he realized his waist was being supported by a pair of strong arms that were covered by a dark blue coat. As he turned to look behind him, he was met with a pair of stunning dark blue eyes. They were beautiful, and looking at Natsu with a concerned expression.

“Hey, are you alright? You nearly hit the ground…” He spoke in a gentle voice, but also sounded slightly unamused. “You really shouldn’t run when there’s ice on the ground.” He helped Natsu get back on his feet before he released the other’s waist. Being caught like that had Natsu blushing like crazy. His cheeks were probably as pink as his hair, maybe even closer to red.

“...I know that. I just wanted to get inside. I really don’t care for the cold.” Natsu mumbled softly. He was just relieved he hadn’t lost his coffee during that incident. “...Thanks for saving my ass, and my coffee…” He looked really embarrassed, but he had nearly crashed to the ground in front of some hot guy. Wait-hot!? Now that Natsu had a better view of this stranger’s face, he realized this guy was actually pretty attractive in the face, but the pink haired male shook off thinking such things. He wasn’t about to start falling head over heels for some stranger. 

“You definitely seem like someone who would prefer warmer temperatures. Just try to be a little more careful. I might not be around to save you next time.” The mysterious stranger laughed softly and gave Natsu a warm smile. At that moment, his scent hit Natsu’s nose; this guy was an alpha male. With the stranger’s scent recognized, Natsu shifted away from him a bit before nervously rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah, that isn’t wrong… I never did care for the cold.” Natsu was practically mumbling now. After removing his hand from the back of his head, he quickly shoved it in the pocket of his dark red jacket. He didn’t know how to react around this guy since he normally did his best to avoid any kind of alpha males, though he was still grateful for this guy.

“Anyways, where are you heading?” The blue eyed stranger tilted his head slightly to the side, allowing some of his hair to hang from the side. This was the first glimpse Natsu had gotten of his hair. It was a beautiful shade of black. Such a shade went really well with his eyes and pale facial features.

“Um… I’m heading to English right now. Wait, I shouldn’t be tellin’ you where I’m going. While I appreciate you helping me, I still have no idea who you are.” Natsu mentally slapped himself when he started to tell this guy such information without even knowing his name. He didn’t think he could get any stupider, but that had been a pretty dumb move on his part. For all he knew, this guy could be some kind of creepy, perverted stalker or something. 

“Heh, you’re a funny guy. Relax, you don’t have to be all freaked out around me. I’m not going to do anything.” The raven shrugged his shoulders a bit before he gave Natsu a playful grin. “I was just going to offer to take you there in case you ended up tripping or something, that way I could save you again.” 

The nerve of this guy. He seriously got on Natsu’s nerves, but those words made him feel more embarrassed than anything. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as a pout formed on his face. The pink haired male turned himself away and started to walk once again. He really wanted to get away from this guy.

“Please, I’m not going to trip again. Do you honestly think I’m that-” Natsu’s sentence was cut off when he once again hit a patch of ice. He slid, but didn’t hit the ground. Instead, he hit someone’s chest with his back. He didn’t even have to turn around to know who grabbed him. He could tell by the scent.

“You were saying?” The raven asked as he smirked down at the omega he had caught twice now. This guy really didn’t do well in the cold it seemed. In a way, the raven found that to be kind of cute. Messing with this guy was pretty fun too, and it turned out that they were heading to the same place. That made things even better. 

“Oh shut it!” Natsu shouted out as he was moved back to his feet once again. Damn, could he honestly embarrass himself any more today? He didn’t want the answer to that question. “If you really want to ‘escort’ me to class, then fine. I won’t stop you, but I will ignore you.” This definitely wasn’t tuning into a good morning, and Natsu was sure the rest of the day wouldn’t be so smooth either. 

“Let’s go then.” The alpha male walked around Natsu with ease and reached the door without slipping once. After pulling the door open, he waited patiently for Natsu to make his way into the building. Such a thing took him way longer than he cared to admit, but he didn’t want to hit ice again. Once he was finally inside, the raven followed him toward his English class. 

It was a quiet walk but Natsu had stayed true to his word about the alpha who insisted on coming with him. The silence was nice for the pink haired male though. It gave him time to think once again, though that probably wasn’t the best idea. Igneel was on his mind a lot since it was so close to the date that he had been taken away. Clenching his coffee cup tightly, Natsu let out a soft sigh. The raven haired stranger glanced toward the omega, noticing that he had a bit of a saddened look on his face but he didn’t ask any questions. They had just met, hadn’t even introduced themselves yet. It wouldn't’ be right to try and pry on personal information yet. 

“Well...here we are.” Natsu finally spoke after what seemed like forever. The two of them were standing outside a wooden door that was propped open with a doorstop. When Natsu peeked inside, he was relieved to see that the class wasn’t very full.   
“We should probably get inside then. You want a good seat right?” The raven haired male asked as he started to walk past Natsu so he could get inside and find a seat.

“Wait...what? You’re in this class!?” Natsu had a rather shocked expression on his face. He couldn’t believe he had to share a class with the guy who saved his ass not once but twice. The guy who really irritates the shit out of him with that cocky attitude. He felt himself fuming slightly, but it quickly faded away. He didn’t have the energy to be angry or irritated. 

“Yeah, I didn’t mention that? Surprise.” A grin formed on his handsome face once again. Damn, he really was full of himself it seemed. 

“Your attitude really irritates me…” Natsu mumbled a bit as he made his way into the room as well. He chose a seat by a window and dropped his bag on the floor. “You ever gonna tell me who the heck you are?” Not that he cared, but he was somewhat curious.

“I suppose, but only if you introduce yourself afterwards.” The raven grinned slightly and sat himself down beside Natsu. Sure enough, the pink haired male looked even more irritated, but the raven still found it to be funny.

“Whatever. I’ll introduce myself after you.” Natsu placed his chin in his hand and glanced toward the raven, his dark colored eyes were glaring slightly, but this guy didn’t seem to be phased at all. 

“My name is Gray Fullbuster. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The male, now known as Gray, smiled a bit and held his hand out to the pink haired male. 

“Gray, huh?” Natsu reached out and slowly shook the outstretched hand. “I’m Natsu Dragneel… I guess it’s nice to meet you as well…” 

Natsu still wasn’t too thrilled, but the touch of this alpha’s hand caused something to spark within him. That was funny. He had been around alphas before, even gotten bumped by them and such a feeling never occurred. He didn’t know what could be different about Gray. He seemed like a perfectly normal alpha. Natsu was confused, but he decided not to think about it right now. Maybe he could ask Levy about it later. After all, she already had an alpha she was dating, so Natsu wondered if she had a similar feeling at one point. If anyone could answer his questions, it would be her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter Two is finally finished, and look who has made his appearance! Gray!!! Honestly, I still think I suck at writing him, but I'm trying to get better. ^^" Honestly, I adore their relationship and of course Natsu struggling on ice is cute too. Anyways, I'll stop rambling about how precious I think they are! I hope you guys enjoyed the update. I'll do my best to update again as soon as possible! Thank you for reading and I'll see you next time!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	3. Three

To his surprise, Natsu had ended up talking to Gray throughout most of their English class. They had to be silent for the first fifteen minutes while the teacher explained everything they would be doing throughout the semester, but after that it was free time for all of the students to get to know each other. Of course, Natsu and Gray hadn’t really been interested in anyone else.

As they spoke, Natsu’s thoughts kept going back to that feeling he had when Gray shook his hand. It felt like something inside of him turned on, but not in a perverted way. It felt like that feeling had been trying to tell him something, but he didn’t understand it. Igneel had tried to talk to him about alpha males before, but Natsu hadn’t been listening at the time. Now he was really regretting it. He had way too many questions and no one to answer them. If Levy wouldn’t be able to answer them, he’d be stuck wondering what to do about this situation. 

“Natsu… Natsu!” Gray was practically waving his hand in front of the pink haired male as he tried to regain the other’s attention. It seemed his new friend had zoned out for a few moments.

“Eh!? Oh! Sorry! What did you ask?” Natsu shook his head quickly and let out a nervous laugh. That was rather embarrassing. Usually only Levy saw him zone out, now he had done it in front of Gray too. 

“I asked about that scar on your cheek… How did you end up with that?” Of course that was the question he asked. Natsu had expected it to come up eventually, but it felt like it had come up a lot faster than he originally planned. 

“Oh that? I had an accident as a small child. I was being stupid and ended up getting cut pretty badly. I almost gave my guardian a heart attack.” The pink haired male laughed softly and rubbed the back of his head. He had literally just lied to Gray’s face, but he didn’t feel like mentioning the accident. Not yet anyways. It was too soon to allow Gray to know that much about his past. He had already cried about it earlier when he remembered it. He didn’t want to end up crying in front of this alpha as well. 

“I’m guessing you’re more on the reckless side?” Gray asked as he tilted his head to the side. When he did, his bangs fell slightly as well. That was when Natsu noticed a small scar just above his left brow. That was an odd spot for a scar.

“Maybe so...but it doesn’t look like you’re much better. How did you get that one just above your eyebrow?” Natsu asked with a curious expression on his face. He watched as Gray brought a hand up and lightly traced over where the scar was on his head.

“My childhood friend and I got into it a couple years ago and he ended up scratching me with something sharp. I don’t really remember what it was though. I just remember blood running down my face and my mother screaming her head off.” Gray chuckled lightly. “Lyon and I were always getting into it as kids, even as teenagers. You’ll probably see us still get into it now but we’re still really close friends. We always end up having each other’s back.” 

Such a friendship sounded really nice. Sure Natsu and Levy always looked out for each other, but they never did fight like that. They had more of a brother/sister bond. That’s how they had always been. Speaking of Levy, Natsu still had yet to meet the guy she was apparently dating now. After all, Natsu was rather protective of her since she was the only one he had left that he would even consider family. He’d have to ask her about this guy later on. He just hoped she would be honest with him and he hoped this guy was treating her nicely.

“Do you have any friends like that, Natsu? Ones you’re always fighting with, yet you’re still always there whenever they may need you?” Gray suddenly asked. That question caught Natsu off guard, but the omega shook his head slightly.

“No, not one that I constantly fight with. There’s this girl I’ve been friends with since we were kids. She’s practically like a sister to me. She’s really sweet and always makes me smile somehow, even on my worst days. She’s also employed at the coffee shop close by here. If you’ve been there, you’ve probably seen her around.” Natsu grinned slightly. She was still his only friend, but maybe he could befriend Gray as well. He seemed alright and he didn’t give Natsu any bad vibes, so that was a bonus. 

“Oh, do you mean Levy? That tiny girl with a really bright personality?” Gray asked with a curious expression. Natsu was surprised he actually got her name right. He didn’t think he had told him either, so maybe he knew her somehow. 

“Yeah, that’s her name. How did you know?” Natsu asked in confusion.

“I know the guy she’s dating and I’ve met her a couple of times. Gajeel is always going on about how perfect she is. He always describes her as a ray of sunshine, but he also didn’t expect himself to fall for her because he’s kind of rough around the edges. He’s a good guy though. It just takes time to get used to him.” Gray smiled a bit and Natsu was only surprised. So Gray was friends with Levy’s current boyfriend. Maybe he could get more information on this guy, even possibly meet him. He was really curious now and hoped Gray could give him more confidence about this guy.

“So...you know her boyfriend? What do you mean rough around the edges? Is he treating her well? I haven’t gotten to meet him yet and I’ve been really worried lately. I just want to make sure he’s going to be good to her…” Natsu couldn’t help but worry. If he ever lost Levy, then that would be it for him. He couldn’t even bare the thought of that possibly happening.

“Do you want to meet him? I’m sure he’d be interested in meeting you. I know she talks about you all the time to him. In a way, he may be a bit on the jealous side so meeting you might reassure him that you’re not a threat or anything.” Gray chuckled softly. He didn’t know how anyone could possibly see Natsu as a threat though. He could already tell the pink haired male was an omega, and it didn’t seem that he had any interest in dating Levy, especially with how he described their relationship. 

“Do you think it would be okay if I met him…?” Natsu asked softly. He had to admit, he felt a bit of pride for knowing that this guy was possibly a bit jealous and he was glad Levy had mentioned him. Natsu may have been an omega, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t beat the crap out of some alpha if they ever posed as a threat to his best friend. Though he was sure he wouldn’t win such a fight, he would sure as hell try.

“Honestly, I think meeting him would give him a bit of reassurance. He and I both have some free time before our next class. How about you? Can you come with me to the cafeteria?” Gray asked, giving Natsu a bit of a hopeful look. For some reason, he found himself wanting to spend more time with the pink haired omega beside him. He had felt something earlier, something he couldn’t describe. It was making him curious, plus he wanted to get to know the other a bit better. 

“Yeah, I have time. I really want to meet this guy.” Natsu grinned widely and got to his feat just as their professor dismissed them. Gray got up as well and grinned. Natsu seemed to be a bit of an idiot, but that was something he found to be pretty cute. As the two of them pulled their bags on their shoulders, Natsu made sure to grab his coffee before they both headed for the door. Natsu would finally get to meet Levy’s boyfriend and he would get a little extra time with Gray. Though he still didn’t want to get too close to the alpha male. He was worried that he would lose Gray the moment they got close enough so it was better to distance himself for now. 

‘It’s not worth another heartbreak…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter three is finally finished! Natsu and Gray will slowly start to get closer as the chapters go on! Not only that, but Gajeel will show up in the next chapter! Hyped for him to finally be included in one of my stories! Anyways, thank you so much for reading and being so patient! I really appreciate it guys. You're all so amazing! Anyways, I will update again as soon as possible! See you next time!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	4. Four

As the two of them made their way to the cafeteria, they continued their conversation. Natsu found out that Gray liked to read, and that he played baseball in the springtime. During winter, Gray was normally outside practicing for the next season so he wouldn’t get rusty. When asked about what kind of books he liked to read, Gray had told Natsu he really liked mystery novels and romance. The romance genre was what surprised Natsu the most, and Gray looked to be a bit embarrassed when he admitted it but at the same time it was kind of cute. 

“So romance novels, eh? I didn’t think you were the type to like sappy stuff like that.” Natsu continued to tease Gray as the two of them entered the cafeteria. Gray was still blushing up a storm and doing his best to ignore Natsu’s teasing, but at the same time the alpha male couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t hide the smile that formed on his face as he reached over and gave Natsu a playful shove.

“Shut up already. They’re really good novels! Anyways, enough about me and my soft side for romance. Tell me about you and what you like.” Gray grinned slightly before his blue eyes shifted to scan over the cafeteria tables. He didn’t see Gajeel yet, which meant he had a little more time to get to know Natsu. He was rather curious about the omega’s likes, dislikes and other things he’d be willing to share. 

“Me? Meh I’m not really that interesting, but if you insist.” Natsu hummed slightly as they made their way over to an empty table close to a set of windows. They both sat themselves down and Natsu leaned forward, his elbow resting on the table and his chin resting on his hand. What could he say? There really wasn’t too much he could tell about himself. He didn’t find himself to be a very interesting person, but for some reason Gray seemed interested.

Sighing softly, Natsu started with small things. He revealed that he really loved cats, drawing, playing video games, and playing the guitar. Gray had seemed surprised when Natsu mentioned being able to play an instrument, but that wasn’t all. Natsu also mentioned that he could play the violin and the piano. He had started to learn as a child, but he didn’t go much further into his childhood. He wasn’t ready to talk about things like that. When asked about his drawings, Natsu ended up digging through his backpack and pulling out a sketchpad. He handed it to Gray and allowed him to look through it. 

“You really did all these?” Gray asked as he flipped through the pages slowly. There were several drawings of flowers, people, animals, and even a few buildings. Each of them had exquisite detail and it looked as if they had taken Natsu quiet a long time to draw them.

“Yeah, during the summer I have a lot of free time so I’m either drawing or practicing with my instruments. Sometimes I’ll doodle in class though. A few of the teachers get rather irritated if they see a tiny cat on top of my homework, but other’s find it kind of cute.” The pink haired omega laughed softly and tugged at the white scarf that still remained around his neck. 

“Heh, if I were a teacher I know I’d enjoy seeing all the little drawings on your homework.” Gray stated as he finished flipping through the sketchpad. He closed it and slid it back over to Natsu. “You said you play instruments, do you also sing?”

Now that question caught Natsu off guard. He did on occasion, but it was only to some of the songs he really liked. He had never taken the time to write his own music because he had no interest in doing such a thing, though he did do it once, after Igneel died. After that, he never wrote anything else. He got enough enjoyment out of simply playing his instruments. He didn’t feel like he needed to add any lyrics. As he glanced toward Gray’s blue eyes, he simply smiled and shook his head.

“Nah, I don’t really sing. I also don’t write my own music. I don’t have that much creativity. I really just do it for fun.” Natsu laughed softly, causing Gray to laugh as well. 

“Maybe someday you could play for me. I’d love to hear it.” Gray hinted with a playful smirk that caused Natsu to grin slightly. 

“If you’re lucky, I will. I’ll have to get to know you a bit more first. I can’t just let some random stranger in my apartment.” Natsu was of course playing and Gray pretended to have his feelings hurt. 

“Some random stranger? Come on now, we were just bonding! I’m not a stranger anymore!” Gray laughed lightly, only to earn a soft punch from the pink haired omega. Gray really was fun to be around. Maybe Natsu could get used to being around him and hopefully befriend him. Levy had mentioned that she was worried about him not really wanting to make friends. Maybe he could surprise her once he felt comfortable enough around Gray. 

“Gray, what the hell are you doing? You never smile this much.” A different voice suddenly spoke. This one was a bit deeper and even sounded a bit rough. It actually startled Natsu slightly. Both of them turned their gaze to where the voice came from. Standing near the table was a tall alpha male with long raven hair, glaring red eyes, piercings all over his face, including his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, and his bottom lip. From what Natsu could see, there were also at least three piercings in each ears. This guy definitely looked more on the rough side, with tan skin and an unamused facial expression. This couldn’t possibly be… 

“Ah there you are, metal head.” Gray grinned widely at the sight of this new person. “We’ve been waiting for you. Gajeel,” Gray paused and placed a hand on Natsu’s shoulder. The sudden touch caused the pink haired omega to blush slightly, but he didn’t move. That name… “This is Natsu. I believe you’re dating his best friend.”

At that moment, Gajeel and Natsu locked eyes, crimson meeting with coal black. This was it. Natsu was finally face to face with Levy’s boyfriend. At first glance, Natsu wasn’t too crazy about the guy. He seemed like he had a rotten attitude and looked like he was pretty pissed about something. Instantly Natsu got to his feet, a decision he regretted real quick. This guy was at least a whole head taller than him. What the hell did Levy see in him? He definitely wasn’t Natsu’s type of alpha at all, but he really had no room to judge since Levy was his friend.

“You’re joking right? This little shrimp is the guy Levy’s always talking about?” Gajeel looked as if he didn’t believe Gray. The long haired raven had been expecting another alpha male, not some tiny omega.   
“Who the hell are you callin’ a shrimp, metal face!” Natsu growled slightly. He hadn’t felt this kind of fire burning inside of him in quite awhile. Granted, no one had ever made him angry before, not like this anyways.

“You’re the shrimp! And metal face? Don’t start calling me names!” Gajeel glared hard, but Natsu refused to back down. He couldn’t believe this was the guy he was worried about. From what Gajeel could tell, this puny guy couldn’t hurt him even if he tried. Natsu wanted to smack that glare right off of Gajeel’s face, but he stopped moving all together when a pair of arms encircled his waist and held him securely. 

“Natsu, settle down. Gajeel isn’t a bad guy. He just looks tough, but really he’s a big softy.” Gray’s voice was right by his ear. When did Gray even get up? Natsu’s heart was beating like crazy, but he had managed to calm himself down slightly. His face was even burning with embarrassment. 

“Gray, did you finally find some omega to try and win over?” Gajeel asked with an amused looking expression. “I gotta say, I didn’t think this one would be your type.”

“Oh put a sock in it, dumbass. We just met today on our way to class and have been getting to know each other. I expect you to be nice to him, especially since he’s friends with Levy.” Gray grinned slightly, but he still hadn’t dropped his hold on Natsu. The fire that had been ignited inside of him had slowly gone out, and Natsu was back to being his quiet self, but that was only because he was really embarrassed. This was the third time Gray had gotten ahold of his waist in such a short time. 

“Heh, well I guess it’s a good thing I finally got to meet Levy’s friend. She speaks about you all the time and honestly I find it annoyin’ but I know she just does it because she worries about ya.” Gajeel finally gave Natsu a small grin and held out a rather large hand. Natsu hesitated for a moment before he slowly reached out and grasped onto the outstretched hand.

“Oh! You two finally got to meet!” A female’s voice suddenly called. All three of them turned their gaze, only to see Levy making her way toward them. She was still smiling as brightly as ever. Natsu was always relieved to see that smile. “Natsu! Who’s your friend!? Oh he’s cute!”

Natsu froze up again. Gray was still hanging onto him, even though it wasn’t even necessary. Slowly, Natsu shifted his coal colored eyes so he could look over his shoulder. He was met with a pair of dark blue ones that held a very gentle gaze. He could have sworn he saw a playful grin on Gray’s face as well. Why was he feeling this way? His heart wouldn’t stop beating, and he couldn’t stop blushing. It felt like Gray was just playing around, but at the same time it felt like there was something more as well. 

‘I don’t know how to handle this…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter four is finally finished! Gajeel is finally here! And Gray is being all clingy on Natsu! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm doing my best to get everything updated at a slow pace! I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to pick things up as I continue! Enough of my rambling though! Thank you so much for reading and I'll do my best to update as soon as possible! Bye for now!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	5. Five

The four of them had once again sat back down at their table. Levy continued to make comments about how red Natsu’s face was while Gajeel and Gray simply sat back and watched how the two of them acted around each other. Sure enough, it was just as Natsu described. They were more like siblings, one teasing the other and making them slightly angry. It was cute. Both Gajeel and Gray couldn’t help but laugh as they watched Levy continue to tease Natsu.

“You were blushing so hardcore and you weren’t even trying to get away!” Levy exclaimed as she reached across the table and poked on Natsu’s cheek. She had the biggest smile on her face while Natsu was pouting like a child.

“I was not! Besides, I was being held back so I wouldn’t try to smack his glare right off his face!” Natsu was practically whining. His cheeks were still extremely red as well. He must have realised it too because he grasped the white scarf around his neck and pulled it up to cover his cheeks.While the two of them continued to talk amongst themselves, Gajeel leaned toward Gray and spoke quietly.

“So is there a reason you wouldn’t let go earlier? That little omega couldn’t have hurt me, but it looked like you were just looking for an excuse.” Gajeel spoke quietly so only Gray could hear him. He didn’t want Natsu or Levy to hear anything that might be said between the two of them.

“Earlier I caught him before he slid on ice… I caught him right by the waist. It actually happened twice. The second time was because he was trying to hurry away from me.” Gray chuckled softly. “I felt something when I caught him the first time and felt it again after the second time. It felt like a spark or something. I don’t really know how to explain it but I guess I grabbed him because I wanted to see if I could feel it again….and I did. I wonder if he felt anything whenever we touched.” Gray spoke softly while his gaze continued to focus on Natsu. 

“I felt that when I first met Levy… She was rushing to class one day and I happened to be running toward her to meet up with a couple of buddies… She crashed right into me and nearly fell on the ground, but by instinct I grabbed her and felt it. It seemed that she had felt something as well but neither of us had time to discuss it. She was late and the guys were getting impatient. Later on, we ended up meeting again and this time we were able to discuss it. She told me that everyone will feel something like that when they meet the one they’re meant to be with. They may not realize it right away, but each time they touch, the feeling will get stronger until it becomes unbearable.” Gajeel explained everything carefully and Gray made sure to listen to every word. 

“So...you’re telling me that Natsu might be the one?” Gray asked curiously. 

“If he felt it as well. If he didn’t then it’s probably just a coincidence. If the feeling fades over time, then it was simply urges. Just keep a close eye on him. From what Levy told me, the kid is fragile, even if he doesn’t look like it. She won’t tell me what happened, but she mentioned that he’s been through a couple of tragic incidents. The worst one was about four years ago, when he was sixteen. She’s told me to not ask him about that particular scar on his face. Apparently he’ll talk about it when he’s ready.” Gajeel paused and turned his head so that he was looking into Gray’s eyes. “If you really do end up falling for that kid, do not fuck it up. The way she talked, he can’t handle much more so if you insist on getting close to him, make your decisions carefully. Now that she’s seen you hanging on him, she’ll probably catch you later and tell you everything I have. Just listen to her and show her that you don’t mean him any harm.” 

As Gajeel finished speaking, Gray couldn’t help but wonder what on earth Natsu had been through. Knowing this amount of information only made Gray want to get closer to the pink haired omega. He needed to know if the feeling was mutual or if it was just him. Either way, it seemed that Natsu needed some kind of friend in his life, and if Gray could only become that, then so be it. He still wanted to know though. He wanted to know everything. Natsu’s past was like a mystery he desperately wanted to solve, but with winter break getting closer, Gray feared that he didn’t have much time. He didn’t know how much he would see of Natsu over the break. Maybe there was something he could do. Just maybe…

“Hey what are you two talking about over there?” Levy’s voice caught the attention of both alpha males. Gray and Gajeel turned their gaze to face the blue haired female who was giving them a rather curious look. 

“Nothing, Lev. He was just asking me some things and I was doing my best to answer them.” Gajeel gave a small grin and watched as Levy’s face turned from curious to happy. 

“You two are such good friends! Speaking of that, Gray I need to talk with you later.” Though she was smiling, her tone was serious. Gajeel had been right. She did plan on talking to him a little later. He didn’t like being told the same thing twice, but he could deal with it out of respect. He knew Levy was just looking out for her friend after all. 

“You’re not gonna be mean to him, are you Levy?” Natsu spoke finally. He sounded slightly concerned. He was watching Levy with a careful gaze, knowing she meant business when she said she wanted to talk with Gray. 

“No, Natsu. I promise I won’t be mean to him. If he’s going to be your new friend, I just need to talk to him about some things. Don’t worry, okay?” Levy’s small hand reached over to rest on top of Natsu’s clenched fist. “You and I are going to talk later anyways.” 

That made Natsu a bit nervous, but at the same time he was relieved. He wanted to talk to her anyways. That feeling from earlier was still bothering him. He doubted Gray felt it though. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Either way, it was going to be good to get this off his chest. Just thinking about it was causing his anxiety to spike up a bit, but he did his best to ignore it. He didn’t need to panic here, especially not in front of Gray. When Natsu glanced toward the clock to hopefully get his mind off of his rising anxiety, he realized he was cutting it close.

“I have to get going. I’ll be late at this point.” Natsu got himself up quickly and threw his backpack over his shoulder. “Levy, I’ll see you after school.” He paused and glanced toward Gajeel and Gray. “See you two later. I’m glad I finally got to meet you, Gajeel. Behave and be nice to Levy or else I’ll smack ya!” Natsu grinned widely. He then looked at Gray and gave the raven a shy little wave before he turned and hurried off. 

Once it was just the three of them, Levy suddenly leaned over the table, getting dangerously close to Gray’s face. Her chocolate colored eyes were practically burning into his cobalt blue ones. She looked pissed, yet she was smiling innocently. This girl was terrifying, no wonder Gajeel fell for her. She was just his type. Innocent, yet terrifying when angry. Gray gulped slightly and rubbed the back of his head nervously. 

“What are your intentions with him?” Levy finally asked. 

“I’m sorry...my intentions?” Gray looked rather confused. He had no intentions at all except for possibly befriending Natsu.

“That’s right. I’m sure Gajeel already told you that Natsu is dangerously fragile. He’s been through a lot and if you plan on hurting him, then it won’t end well for you.” Levy was dead serious. She was glaring now, yet still smiling. 

“Listen, I promise I have no intention of ever hurting him. I want to become his friend more than anything.” Gray held his hands up in defense. It didn’t seem that Levy was going to back down until Gajeel placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Lev… He means it. He felt it when he touched that little shrimp earlier… That spark.” Gajeel spoke seriously and Gray watched as Levy calmed down slightly. 

“...Do you know if Natsu felt it?” She asked lowly and both males shook their heads. If Natsu felt it too, then this made the situation even more delicate. “I’ll talk to him later tonight. I planned on visiting him. I’ll find out if he felt it or not but if he did, it will probably make him even more cautious. He closed his heart off a long time ago. However...maybe if things are approached carefully…” She paused and slowly nodded her head. “Gray, if I find out that he felt the same thing, then I want you to do whatever you can to get him to slowly open up to you. You need to break him out of his shell and make him feel like he isn’t alone. Do you understand me?”

There was a long pause. None of them spoke for what seemed like hours. Gray was thinking things over carefully. He wanted to know if Natsu felt the same thing, and now that he had a little more information on the pink haired male it only made him want to get closer. He wanted to help Natsu as much as possible. Slowly, Gray met Levy’s gaze and he nodded his head slightly.

“I’ll do whatever I can to get him to open up.” His decision was made, now he just had to figure out how to approach it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter five is finally finished! Chapters seem to be rolling out nicely, but I'm still pretty tired <-> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'll do my best to update again soon! Thank you so much for reading and I will see you in the next update!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	6. Six

Natsu’s last class passed by rather slowly. He nearly fell asleep a couple of times, but luckily someone had been nice enough to nudge him to prevent it. The person nudging him was a female with long red hair, striking brown eyes, and long bangs that covered the right one. She seemed pretty nice and Natsu had seen her before in another class. If he remembered right, her name was Erza and he often saw her with a rather tall guy who had short blue hair. Natsu was sure that man was her boyfriend or something, though he couldn’t be completely positive. 

“You look like you haven’t been sleeping properly.” The girl spoke to him after class had ended. The sudden interaction had surprised Natsu, but he only smiled at her and nervously rubbed the back of his head. 

“You could say that.... Thanks for keeping me awake during class.” Natsu smiled a bit more as he got to his feet. “It would have been bad if I had actually passed out. Your name is Erza, right? I’ve seen you in another class.” 

“Ah so you do pay attention. That’s right, I am Erza and I know who you are as well, Natsu. We have science together.” Erza grinned slightly and got herself up as well. “I also saw you getting caught by Gray Fullbuster earlier this morning. Are you two becoming a thing?”

“Eh!?” Natsu held his hands up and quickly shook his head. His cheeks were burning red with embarrassment. He had hoped no one else saw that, but he should have known better. “You saw that!? Gah...I’m gonna die…” 

“Aw, Natsu it’s okay. Honestly, if you had fallen Jellal and I were ready to come check on you. You looked pretty zoned out after all.” Erza reached over and lightly ruffled Natsu’s pink colored hair. She was definitely giving Natsu motherly vibes, or at least sister vibes. “Jellal figured it would only be a matter of time before you slipped, but neither of us expected Gray to come to your rescue.”

“Honestly...he seems pretty cool but I don’t know how I feel about him. We did just meet after all and besides, I’m not really looking to get too close to anyone right now…” The pink haired omega sighed softly as he walked over to a trash can and threw away his empty cup. Erza followed him and gave him a gentle nudge once again.

“Natsu, sooner or later your omega urges are going to take over. You should really consider getting close to an alpha just to be on the safe side.” Erza did her best to express her concern, but Natsu was a rather stubborn omega from what she could tell. It didn’t seem like he had any interest in settling down with anyone. “What are you going to do when you go into heat?” She asked.

“Oh, I don't have to worry about that…” Natsu glanced toward the red head and smiled slightly. “I take suppressants so they don’t go out of control. No alpha will smell it and I’ll hardly be able to tell.” Though Natsu felt that he was starting to need a stronger dosage. Each time he could feel them weakening. He had been suppressing them for about seven years now. He was twenty now, and he had his first heat when he was thirteen. It was rather early for an omega and as soon as it was over, Igneel had allowed him to start taking the pills. 

“Natsu, those only work for so long, you know. One day they’re not going to work and you’re going to have a really bad heat. If that happens, you need an alpha you can trust…” Erza couldn’t bare the thought of something like that happening, especially to someone as sweet as Natsu. 

“I guess I’ll just have to worry about that whenever the time comes. Until then, I’m not going to concern myself with it. It isn’t worth worrying about.” Natsu wasn’t really enjoying this conversation, but he also didn’t want to be rude to Erza. He knew she was just trying to help and he really did appreciate that. “Thank you though…” 

“Natsu, I want to be your friend and friends worry about each other. I know Levy worries about you all the time.” Erza didn’t know Natsu’s backstory, but she was friends with Levy and she remembered the blue haired female telling her that Natsu had a pretty tragic past, and that the scar on his face was the aftermath of it, along with depression and anxiety.

“Erza...if you want to be friends then I’m fine with that, but you and Levy really don’t need to worry so much. I’m alright.” Natsu smiled, but it was fake. He knew he wasn’t okay, but he didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want too many people to get close to him because he feared losing them in some tragic way and he definitely didn’t want to fall in love. 

“As your friend, I can tell you that we will always worry about you because we care about you.” Erza stopped before walking out of the room. She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down on it before handing it to Natsu. “Call me if you need anyone to talk to. I’ll come running. Maybe next time you’ll get to meet Jellal too. You two might end up getting along.”

Jellal? That must have been the blue haired male Natsu often saw Erza with. That must have meant that Natsu’s suspicions were correct. However, he didn’t really know how he felt about getting to know anymore alphas. He already met Gray and Gajeel. He didn’t like how big this circle of people was getting. It only made him worry more, but of course he still didn’t want to be rude to Erza. 

“Yeah...maybe so. I’d love to meet him sometime.” Natsu nodded his head and started to walk out of the room. He had been prepared to head straight home, but as soon as he looked up, he saw a familiar face from earlier. Oh shit...what was Gray doing here!? Natsu felt his face heat up and he heard a small giggle from beside him. When he looked over, he saw Erza looking at him with a bit of a grin. She gave him a quick shove, moving him closer to Gray before she turned and took off. Dammit Erza…

“Yo… So this was your class.” Gray smiled casually and stepped a bit closer until he and Natsu were only inches apart. 

“What are you doing here…?” Natsu was nervous now. Once again he was alone with the alpha he was trying so hard not to fall for, but at this rate he would end up failing himself and that was something he really wanted to avoid. Levy must have told Gray where he was. He didn’t like what he thought she was planning. It was like she was trying to push them closer together and Natsu still didn’t know what that spark feeling meant. 

“I came to get you. Come on, we’re going to get some food.” Gray grinned a bit more and motioned for Natsu to follow him. The raven haired male had remembered to keep one thing in mind. Something really important that Levy had told him before he came to get Natsu.

~~  
“Take him out to eat. There’s a really good Italian restaurant close by that he absolutely loves. However...do not drive him there. He will not get in a car. I’ll explain that a little later but just make sure you don’t mention it.”

~~  
Natsu didn’t like cars, and Gray had made sure to remember that. He didn’t really mind walking anyways. Gray actually liked the cold, but he knew Natsu wasn’t much for cold weather. Luckily Levy had told him exactly where it was so it would only be about a ten minute walk if he could keep Natsu from sliding around on the sidewalk. He’d never say it out loud, but he actually found that image to be rather cute. 

“...Where the hell do you plan on dragging me…?” Natsu asked. He lifted a brow, his eyes were full of suspicion and curiosity. 

“There’s a little Italian restaurant close by. I figured we could go there.” Gray suggested as if he had thought of it by himself. Levy had also told him not to tell Natsu that she was trying to help, but Gray had a feeling Natsu would figure it out. He’d deal with that when the time came though.

“O-oh….that place…” Natsu felt his mouth start to water. That place was one of his favorite places and he had been craving their pasta lately, but how did Gray know about it? He had a feeling but decided to let it go for now. After thinking it over for a bit, Natsu slowly nodded his head. “Okay...I’ll go with you…” 

This wasn’t technically a date. Gray was just trying to get to know Natsu outside of school since he wasn’t sure if they had any other classes together, plus this was something Levy had asked him to do. Gray had no objections either because he was genuinely interested in Natsu. He didn’t plan on asking anything too personal either. It would be just like earlier when they first met. 

“Let’s go then.” Gray smiled gently and held his hand out. Natsu hesitated, even blushed a bit more before he slowly reached out and took the outstretched hand. That feeling happened again the moment they touched. Shock ran up his arm and made his heart start beating faster. This feeling...he needed answers about it as soon as possible. After eating, he’d make sure to call Levy and have her come over so they could finally talk about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey guys! Sorry updates are starting to slow down a bit. I'm kind of struggling right now, but I'm glad I managed to get this chapter updated! Erza has made her appearance and Levy seems to be trying to play match maker! How precious! Anyways, enough rambling from me! Thank you so much for reading and I'll do my best to update as soon as possible! See you guys next time!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	7. Seven

Natsu had been rather relieved to find out that they would be walking to the restaurant. Sure he didn’t like the cold, but he hated cars even more. He’d much rather deal with walking in the snow and possibly sliding around on ice than risk having another accident. As the pair walked beside each other, Natsu ended up pulling his scarf over his nose due to the fact that it was starting to hurt a bit from being so cold. Gray had peeked to the side and couldn’t help but chuckle. He had never seen someone struggle with the cold so much, but he found it rather cute. 

“Are you sure you’re going to make it there?” Gray asked as he playfully nudged the pink haired omega. 

“Shut it… I’ll be fine.” Natsu mumbled in irritation. He had already decided he would deal with the cold ever since the day of the accident. It wasn’t worth someone else dying. Rolling his dark colored eyes, Natsu nudged Gray back and proceeded to walk a little faster in order to get ahead of the raven, but that proved to be a fatal mistake. Once again, unseen ice became his worst enemy. Before Natsu even realized what happened, he noticed the concret getting dangerously close to his face. 

“Natsu!” A voice called out. The omega closed his eyes, bracing himself to hit the hard ground, but he didn’t. His body was halted. There was a tight grasp on his wrist and his shoulder. The spark came again, this time stronger than before. His eyes flew open, only to find that he was in fact still looking down at the sidewalk, but he was being held up. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Gray holding onto him for the fourth time that day. The raven had a concerned expression on his face as he helped the pink haired omega regain his balance. “Are you alright?” He finally asked. 

“I-I’m fine… Thanks to you, I didn’t hit the ground like I thought I was going to..” Natsu felt his cheeks heat up as he thought of just how many times he ended up being grabbed today. Once Gray was sure Natsu could stand on his own, he slowly released his grasp on the other and shifted slightly to the side. He really needed to get it together, but it seemed that he wanted to do anything just to touch Natsu, even if it was as simple as holding his hand or something. 

“Let’s get going then. Don’t try to walk so fast though. I might be too late next time.” Gray let out a soft chuckle as he slowly removed his hand from Natsu. He wondered if the pink haired male was blushing from behind that scarf and he still wondered if they were having the same feeling. If Natsu was the one he was supposed to end up with, then Gray couldn’t be any happier. They had only just met, yet he had quite an attraction to this one. Natsu was funny, cute, and a bit mysterious since he didn’t know much about Natsu’s past. Levy hadn’t been able to tell him much except for the fact that the pink haired omega was actually pretty fragile. She couldn’t stress enough to Gray about how careful he needed to be and of course he respected that and promised her that he would try to get closer to Natsu. He wanted to know what happened but he knew he wouldn’t get that information so easily. 

Natsu found himself looking toward Gray as they started walking once again. That feeling had made itself known again and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. If the pink haired omega were to be honest, Gray was a pretty cool person so far. The raven was funny, caring, not to mention he was handsome and quick on his feet. Natsu would have already fallen at least three times if it weren’t for him. Not only that, but when Gray was holding him back earlier, he found that he had really enjoyed the feeling of being held by him. Granted, that was rather embarrassing to admit. He was just thankful his scarf was covering a majority of his face. If it hadn’t been, then Gray would have been able to see just how easily he made Natsu blush. 

“Here we are.” Gray spoke after what seemed like an eternity of silence. When Natsu looked up, sure enough they were standing in front of the Italian restaurant he loved so much. He could already feel his stomach starting to growl as he thought about what he wanted to get today. Breadsticks and a rather large pasta dish of some sort. His eyes looked as if they were sparkling as he stared at the building, causing Gray to pause and stare at the other with a smile on his face. That expression was flat out adorable, even if Gray could only see Natsu’s eyes for the moment. He reached out and slowly placed a hand on Natsu’s shoulder before urging him forward slightly. 

“Come on. Let’s get inside and get some food.” Gray smiled warmly toward the omega who only nodded in agreement. 

Together, the two of them made their way inside, greeted by instant warmth and the smell of food. Natsu let out a happy sigh as they were led to a booth in the back by one of the windows. It wasn’t very crowded in the place today, yet they were still in what seemed like a private area. The hostess must have mistook them for a couple or something and assumed they had wanted a more private area. In a way, Natsu was relieved because it kept him away from any other customers and allowed him to mainly focus on Gray, plus back here, no one would end up staring at the scar on his face. 

Once their order was placed, Natsu finally unwrapped the scarf from his face and draped it over his shoulders before rubbing his hands together slightly. He really needed to get gloves eventually, but right now money was a bit tight. That reminded him, he was supposed to go out job hunting, not out for food. Maybe he would have time after they ate. If not, he could always look tomorrow since it was a weekend. While they waited for their food, Natsu and Gray continued to talk about the small things. Gray made sure to avoid any subjects about cars, family or the scar that resided on the right side of Natsu’s face. He still couldn’t stop himself from wondering though.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you wanted to bring me here… Be honest. Did Levy tell you I liked this place or something?” Natsu asked as he lifted an eyebrow.

“Alright you caught on. She did tell me that this was one of your favorite places. Turns out, I actually like this place as well so I figured why not.” Gray smiled slightly, his dark blue eyes never leaving Natsu’s face. “Natsu, tell me...what classes are you taking next semester?” 

“Huh? Oh next semester… I guess I haven’t really looked yet. Probably the next level up in math, maybe a science course since I haven’t taken one yet...but other than that I’m not too sure.”

“Hmm...Maybe we’ll end up in the same science course next semester then. I haven’t taken one either. I’ve been too lazy for the most part.” Gray laughed softly and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well if you want...I can bring my laptop on Monday and we can choose one together. I’d like to have another class with you.” Natsu grinned slightly. He honestly didn’t know how he had gone an entire semester without seeing Gray in his English class though. It was rather odd. “Hey, how come I never noticed you in that English class before?”

“Well...usually I sat in the back and I never did answer any questions. I was just there to learn and then I normally waited until everyone else left class. I don’t know what made me stop and help you today, but I’m rally glad I did. It’s not everyday I get to meet an interesting omega, especially a cute one.” Gray smirked slightly, finally seeing a hint of blush on Natsu’s cheeks.

“Don’t start trying to flatter me. I will punch you.” Natsu huffed slightly as a pout started to form on his lips. Oh that made him even cuter than he already was. Gray chuckled softly and held his hands up in defense.

“Hey I’m only speaking the truth. I’m glad I stopped and helped you. Meeting you has probably been the best part of this semester. Honestly, I was tempted to just drop out after I was done with all the upcoming tests...but now I think I have a reason to stick around.” Gray sighed softly. Natsu was about to ask why he planned on leaving, but their food came before he could and the subject got changed almost instantly.

Together, the two of them ate and continued to speak casually, often making each other laugh. Nothing personal came up for either of them. They were just enjoying each other’s company. Natsu found himself slowly getting used to being around Gray, but that didn’t mean he fully trusted the alpha yet. It was still too soon to decide if Gray could be fully trusted or not. With time, Natsu was sure he could grow to trust Gray though. He still needed to talk to Levy first and learn about what’s been going on. He’d make sure to call her once he got back home and he decided to search for a job tomorrow.

‘Levy...I really hope you can answer my questions…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all. Sorry updates are slowing down. I'm not feeling so hot right now, but I still want to continue to try and get these chapters done. ^^" Sorry this one took a couple extra days. I really hope you all enjoyed the update though. Thank you very much for reading and thank you for all the support! I greatly appreciate it! See you all in the next update!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	8. Eight

After eating, Gray had paid for their meal, even though Natsu had tried to insist on paying for himself. Gray told him this was his treat and not to worry about it. Now it really did feel like a date, but Natsu decided not to argue. If he were to be honest, he had a pretty good time with Gray, and he knew he’d be all for doing it again sometime, but for now it was time for him to get home. He still had a little homework to do, plus he needed to call Levy. 

Gray had tried to get Natsu to allow him to walk the other home, but Natsu only smiled and told Gray he would be fine. He didn’t want the raven knowing where he lived yet since they had just met. However, before the two parted ways, Natsu had given Gray his phone number and told him to call any time. He had blushed as he handed his number over and before Gray could say anything else, Natsu had taken off down the sidewalk. 

By the time he got back to his apartment, it was already getting a bit dark outside. Sighing to himself, Natsu reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled his keys out before making his way to the third floor. His apartment was the last door on the left with a bronze 23 on it. It wasn’t much, but it was home for Natsu. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, warmth instantly hit him in the face along with the familiar scent of home. This was the one place the pink haired omega felt he could actually relax, let himself go. There was no one to hide from here since he lived alone. 

Once he sat his keys down and removed his coat, Natsu made his way down the short hallway of his small apartment. There were only two doors to go through, one leading to a small bathroom and the other leading to his room. Natsu wanted to get himself changed into something more comfortable before calling Levy. He had a feeling this wouldn’t end up being a short talk, so it was best to actually be able to relax a bit and jeans weren’t the way to do that. As Natsu started to remove his current clothes, he felt his phone vibrate from his front pocket. 

“Eh?” A look of confusion crossed Natsu’s face. Before pulling his phone out, he threw the shirt he had removed to the side and lowered himself onto his unmade bed and removed his phone from his pocket. When he moved to the message screen, he saw that it was an unknown number. 

[Unknown: Hey, it’s Gray. Did you make it home?]

The message made Natsu smile slightly. He hadn’t expected the raven from earlier to message him so soon, but he found it to be kind of sweet. However, after reading the message he found that his heart was starting to beat a bit faster. Was he excited that Gray had actually messaged him? It seemed like it, but he still didn’t get why. Shaking his head, he decided to reply after adding Gray to his contacts.

[N: Yeah, I made it home. Thanks for checking]

After hitting send, Natsu left his phone on his bed and went to finish changing. He decided on dressing in a simple pair of white sweat pants and an oversized red shirt with long sleeves. With his clothes changed, the pink haired male picked his scarf up from where it fell and draped it over his shoulders. Before completely leaving his room, Natsu scooped his phone up, seeing that the message light was blinking once again. Gray must have responded to him, but he’d have to check that later. As he was walking back to the living room, he pulled up Levy’s contact information and hit the call button before placing the phone to his ear. It only rang twice before Levy answered it. 

“Natsu! I was wondering when you would call.” Her voice sounded as happy as ever, it even brought a smile to Natsu’s face. 

“Yeah sorry. I just got back home. Are you able to stop by for a little bit? I need to ask you something.” Natsu sat himself down on his dark grey couch and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He really hoped that he wasn’t bothering her.

“Gajeel and I will be there in about five minutes actually. I knew you would want to talk so we started heading over about ten minutes ago.” Levy laughed gently and Natsu could have sworn he heard a scoff from the other side of the phone. He hadn’t really expected Gajeel to come, but it was getting kind of dark so he understood. 

“Alright. Just walk in when you get here. I left the door unlocked, and thank you.” The call ended there. While Natsu waited for Levy to show up, he decided on checking the message that Gray had sent him a little bit ago. 

[Gray: I’m glad you made it. Dinner was nice as well. Hopefully we can do it again sometime.]

That message caused Natsu to blush slightly. Gray wanted to go out to eat again sometime? If he were to be honest, he was a bit surprised to find that out. Granted, the two of them did have a nice time today so he didn’t see why not. It was probably good for him to get out like this, it was definitely something Igneel would have wanted for him. 

[N: Yeah, I would be up for that.] 

After pressing send, Natsu placed his phone down on the coffee table in front of the couch and leaned back against the cushions. His heart was still beating faster than it normally did. Hopefully it wasn’t a bad sign. Being around Gray had been messing with him all day, and not knowing why was irritating the crap out of him. He desperately wanted the answers, but at the same time he was worried about what they may be. 

“Natsu! We’re coming in!” Levy’s voice was suddenly on the other side of his door. He glanced at the time and sure enough she had been right. Only five minutes had passed and she was already here. His head turned to the side when he heard the door open. Seeing her bright smile along with Gajeel’s little scowl made him laugh softly as he sat himself upright. They were definitely an interesting pair, plus she was so small compared to him. 

“Hey, come in.” Natsu lifted his hand and motioned for the two of them to come through the door. He was still uneasy about Gajeel now knowing where he lived, but at the same time he looked like someone who would easily forget if Levy wasn’t with him. Once the two of them were inside, Gajeel shut the door behind them and they came over to sit down on the couch with Natsu. 

“So, what’s bothering you? You sounded worried on the phone.” Levy said as she shrugged off her coat and tossed it on Gajeel’s lap. 

“Well...ever since this morning I’ve been feeling strange. It started when I first met Gray after he saved me from sliding on ice. Right when we first made contact, I felt something similar to a spark and I kept feeling it each time we made contact in some way. It’s been bothering me all damn day, and I have no idea why I’m even feeling this.” Natsu felt that he sounded insane, but the look on Levy’s face was telling him otherwise. She knew that Igneel had never gotten the chance to explain things like this to Natsu, which meant she would have to do it now. 

“Natsu. This feeling is perfectly normal, though it only happens under specific situations. It happened to me when Gajeel and I first met. That feeling is a sign, if both of you feel it.” Levy smiled slightly. Knowing that Natsu had felt that spark when Gray touched him earlier, it was the sign she had been hoping for. 

“A sign of what?” Natsu didn’t exactly get it. He hadn’t expected her to be familiar with the feeling, and the fact that she had felt it when she met Gajeel. “Lev...what the hell are you trying to tell me exactly?”

“Natsu. If Gray felt it too, then that means he’s the one for you. It’s a sign that you’ve come in contact with the one you’re supposed to be with.” Levy already knew that Gray had felt it though since they had talked earlier, and now she knew Natsu had felt it as well, but she decided against telling Natsu that Gray felt it. It was better for him to find out on his own. 

“I-” Natsu couldn’t speak. This was the last thing he had expected or even wanted to hear. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Gray, it was the fact that he was terrified of ever finding someone to be with. His parents, his guardian, they had all left him. It was a relief that Levy was still here with him, though she had gotten very sick once and he almost lost her as well. Now he had a spark with some guy he had just met, someone Natsu would have to fear losing if he ended up falling for him.

“Natsu… It’s alright. Don’t think about it to much right now. You still have to find out if Gray felt it as well. If he didn’t then it was just a coincidence. You’ve never been touched by an alpha anyways, so your body could have just reacted by instinct. There’s nothing to worry about until you know if the other person felt it.” Levy reached out and grasped her friend’s hand tightly. She knew Gray felt it though, and once Natsu found out, she knew it would send him into a panic. 

“H-how am I supposed to find out…?” Did he even want to find out? If Gray felt it too, then Natsu didn’t know what he would do. He didn’t want to find a mate and then have the risk of losing that person. He couldn’t handle such a thing. 

“You just have to ask when the time is right. Until you’re ready, just try to get to know him. Get used to being around him. I know you’ll make the right decision, even if you’re scared of making it. Just trust yourself.” Levy squeezed his hand a bit more to hopefully reassure him, but Natsu still had a terrified look on his face. 

“Hey shrimp.” Gajeel’s voice suddenly got Natsu’s attention. His gaze shifted to the long haired male who had been silent until now. To Natsu’s surprise, Gajeel’s large hand came down on his head and ruffled his pink hair lightly. “Try not to freak out too much. Levy’s got your back, I promise you that.”

Natsu may have gotten off to a rough start with Gajeel, and he was still irritated about that name but at the same time he felt himself calm down slightly. Gajeel was right. Levy did have his back. The fact that he hadn’t lost her, even when he thought he would, should be enough to reassure him that she would be there for him. When he looked back toward the blue haired female, she quickly wrapped her arms around him in a protective embrace. 

“It isn’t just me, Natsu. Gajeel will be here for you too. He may seem rough, but he’s really sweet. He just wants to hold that tough guy act for when he’s around the guys.” Levy laughed gently as Natsu returned her embrace. He found himself peeking toward Gajeel curiously. The taller male was actually pouting and blushing slightly due to Levy’s statement. 

“Unfortunately, she’s right. If anyone messes with you, I’ll knock them flat on their ass.” Gajeel was muttering and refused to make eye contact but Natsu could tell by the tone of his voice that he meant what he said. In one day, Natsu’s small world of only one friend had grown by three . Now he had Gajeel, Gray, and even Erza. 

“...Thank you both.” He spoke softly and slowly closed his eyes. Now all he had to do was find the right time to figure out if Gray felt the spark as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey everyone! This took way longer than I had originally planned and I'm so sorry for that! I've been sleeping a lot once again and honestly it really sucks. Any time I have motivation, I end up not being home and then by the time I get back, I am exhausted and just want sleep. ^^" So sorry again. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the update! I'll do my best to update again as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your patience and thank you for reading! I'll see you guys in the next update! Bye for now!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	9. Nine

Natsu had ended up passing out while he was leaning against Levy, so she had Gajeel carry him off to his room. She had never seen him pass out so quickly, but she knew all that information plus everything else that happened today must have worn him out. He had cried earlier that morning after looking like he had gotten very little sleep the previous night, then he had the incident with Gray, got wound up when he first met Gajeel, then had a dinner date. To top all that, he had learned that he felt that spark for a reason, the reason he had feared for the longest time. 

“Hey, don’t take that off…” Levy caught Gajeel by the wrist as he started to take Natsu’s scarf off his neck. 

“You really want me to leave this on him? Won’t he overheat or something?” Gajeel asked in confusion. Both were making sure to keep their voices down that way Natsu didn’t wake back up.

“No, he doesn’t overheat that easily, plus that scarf means a lot to him. He only takes it off when he showers or has to was it. Other than that, it stays on him.” She smiled softly and made sure to place the covers over her sleeping friend before she grabbed Gajeel’s hand and led him out of the room. It was time for them to take off since Natsu had fallen asleep on them. She would make sure to text him a little later to make sure he was alright. As the two of them were leaving the apartment, Gajeel stopped when he noticed a photo on a nearby table.

“Lev. Who’s with the squirt in this picture?” He asked as he leaned down to get a better look. One of the two in the picture was obviously a younger version of Natsu, but the other was a man who looked rather tall, with red colored hair that had a scruffy style and a short beard that matched. The man also had bright green eyes and a grin on his face similar to Natsu’s. 

“That’s Igneel…” Levy spoke softly as she looked toward the photo as well. She remembered him well. He was a kind hearted man who was always rather protective of Natsu. “Natsu’s guardian…”

The way she spoke, it sounded like a memory that held a lot of pain. That’s when Gajeel remembered Levy telling him about a tragic incident that happened four years ago that really messed Natsu up. He looked toward the girl and tilted his head to the side. He didn’t want to ask, but now he had to. He was sure he already knew the answer, but confirmation was necessary. 

“This is the tragic incident from four years ago...isn’t it?” He asked lowly and Levy nodded her head. It was best to tell Gajeel now so he wouldn’t be wondering. As the two of them left the apartment, Levy made sure to lock the door behind the two of them before they started heading back to the dorms.

“Four years ago, right before Christmas break Igneel had been taking Natsu to school as usual. They were stopped at a light that had turned green...right as they started to go, another car came speeding down the road and hit a patch of ice. The driver’s car slid and crashed right into the car Igneel had been driving. He didn’t make it, and Natsu was left with that scar on his face. That incident changed Natsu...it was even worse than when he lost his parents. After Igneel passed away, my family took Natsu in and tried to help him recover but he refused to get close to anyone else. I know he appreciated us taking him in, he’s expressed it more than once but he still doesn’t want to get close to anyone again. He almost lost me two years ago. I had gotten really sick, in winter as well but I managed to pull through and I’m really glad I did… I want to protect Natsu from ever being hurt again. I want him to know that he isn’t alone in this world, but his heart is closed off… Now that he’s felt the spark with Gray, I’m worried about how this will affect him.” She finally finished talking and let out a sad sigh. Her brown eyes shifted to the ground as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

“That kid really has been through hell… That’s why you told Gray not to ask about the scar and told him to stay away from cars.” Gajeel hadn’t been ready for such a story. He almost felt bad for leaving Natsu alone in that apartment. “Is that also why he chose to live outside the dorms?” 

“Well...even before all this he had never been much for people but Igneel’s death really did it for him. He didn’t want to be in the dorms, didn’t want to have a roommate. It’s just easier for him if he’s living in that apartment. He doesn’t have to hide there.” Levy sighed quietly and shook her head slightly. “I don’t like knowing he’s living there all alone, fighting with those painful memories.” 

“Levy, I know you’re worried about the kid. It sounds like you have every right to be worried but if you worry too much you might make yourself sick again.” Gajeel placed an arm around the smaller female’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We can keep an eye on him though and I know Gray isn’t going to do anything dumb.” 

“He better not. This isn’t going to be easy for Natsu at all, but there is a bright side and that’s the fact that we know Gray felt the same thing Natsu did. They’re meant to be with each other, now they just have to tell each other.” Levy managed to smile slightly as the two of them made their way back to the dorms. “Don’t tell Gray that Natsu felt the spark. It’s better if they find out themselves.” 

“I got it. Don’t worry.” Gajeel nodded his head and walked Levy back to her room. Once they were outside the door, the raven leaned himself down and gave the blue haired female a gentle kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lev.” 

Once Levy was left alone, she leaned against the door to her room and placed a hand on her head. Now that she knew Natsu had felt that spark, it only made her worry more. She also worried that Gajeel would slip up and tell Gray before Natsu was ready to, but she had to trust him for now. Finally, she turned and unlocked the door to her room before opening it quietly and slipping inside. She didn’t want to risk waking up her roommate if she was already asleep, but to her surprise the light was still on. When she looked to the right, she saw a blonde girl with brown eyes similar to her own glancing toward her with a curious expression. She was dressed in pink pajamas and looked as if she had been reading. 

“Hey, Lu… Sorry I got back a little later than I intended.” Levy smiled innocently as she shrugged off her coat and hung it off before kicking her boots off. 

“Levy, you should have texted me. I was getting worried and was about to send Loke out to look for you two.” Lucy pouted slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. “Where were you anyways?”

“I had to go check on a friend of mine and took Gajeel with me. You’ve probably seen him around. The quiet boy with the spiky pink hair?” Levy made her way over to her own bed and sat herself down.

“You mean, Natsu? That’s who you went to see?” Lucy was familiar with the pink haired boy, but the two of them hadn’t had much communication. “I have a couple classes with him. Erza said she finally spoke with him today when he kept falling asleep in class.” 

“Yeah, that sounds about right. After we talked, he ended up passing out on us so we had to put him to bed before we left. I had a feeling he’d go down pretty quickly today. He looked completely exhausted this morning when he came to the coffee shop.” Sighing softly, Levy shifted and rested her head on her pillows. 

“If Erza finally talked to him, then that means his friend circle is slowly getting bigger. Lucy, you should try talking to him sometime as well. He’s only had me for the longest time and I want him to have more friends that he can rely on. I know he could really use more friends.” Levy glanced toward her roommate and smiled softly. “Only if you want to though. You and Loke would make good friends for him.” 

“We can try when we see him again. He’s always looked a little lonely after all, and I’ve wanted to talk to him before, but I’m always afraid he’ll end up panicking or something.” Lucy rubbed the back of her head and settled back against her own pillows. 

“There’s a possibility of that happening, but it won’t last long. He’s managed to get along with Gajeel so far and you know how intimidating that big lug can be. Surely Natsu will be okay with you and Loke.” Levy couldn’t help but giggle as she remembered Natsu’s encounter with Gajeel earlier. She hadn’t seen him that fired up in a while. Progress was slowly being made, but she also knew the next few weeks wouldn’t be the easiest for Natsu. 

‘Gray...I really hope you can get close to him and show him how it feels to be loved…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey all! Chapter nine is finally finished! I didn't expect to have it done so soon but I'm glad it got finished! ^^" Gajeel finally knows about Natsu's past and now Natsu has to figure out how to tell Gray about the spark! Anyways, thank you so much for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll do my best to update again real soon! See you in the next update!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


	10. Ten

“Ugh…” Natsu groaned softly as he shifted around slightly. He didn’t even remember passing out last night, but when he woke up, he didn’t know how he got to his bed. Confusion washed over him as he sat up slowly and rubbed the back of his eyes. As he looked toward the clock on his nightstand, he noticed it was just past three in the morning. This was no surprise. He always woke up at ungodly hours and usually couldn’t get himself back to sleep. Natsu figured it was best not to force himself to sleep. If he did, he would probably wake up with a massive headache. 

“Damn… I owe Levy an apology…” He muttered to himself as he went to grab his phone that was resting on his nightstand beside the clock. The message light was blinking. Maybe Levy messaged him to tell him what happened. He remembered a little of the conversation, and even remembered he had gotten the answer he was looking for but he also remembered having a panic attack. Shaking his head slightly, he unlocked his phone, seeing he had two unread messages; one from Levy and one from...Gray. He decided to open the one from Levy first.

[Levy: Natsu, you ended up passing out while we were there so Gajeel helped me get you into bed. I had a feeling you would end up passing out on us due to not sleeping very much so don’t worry about it. Just take care of yourself and remember, Gajeel and I will always be here for you. I know you’ll make the right decision when the time comes. See you soon!]

Reading the message brought relief to Natsu. She wasn’t upset with him about passing out, but then again she was rarely upset with him anyways. She worried more than anything, which made Natsu worry as well. Deciding that he could reply to her message later, he moved to read the message from Gray, realizing that it was from much earlier, before Levy had even come over. He remembered agreeing to have a similar day with Gray like the one they had today. Thinking about that only made him blush, along with what Levy had told him. He needed to find out if Gray felt that spark as well, but at the same time he was too scared to ask. He didn’t know if he wanted the answer or not, but he did know that he needed to read the message. 

[Gray: I really look forward to it. I had a nice time with you today and I really hope you had fun too. Maybe we can see about doing something either tomorrow or Sunday?]

Ah...so he wanted to hang out sooner than Natsu expected, not that it was a bad thing. Natsu actually felt himself growing rather excited to possibly be hanging out with Gray sooner than later. At the same time, he was still very nervous about it. He didn’t know how he would react around Gray now that he was aware of what that spark meant. Panic was starting to set in again. Now he was in a battle with himself, unable to decide if he wanted to see Gray again so soon or not. Unfortunately for him, it seemed his fingers moved on their own. Before he knew it, he already had a response typed out and had pressed send. Crap, what the hell did he just type!?

[N: Tomorrow or Sunday would be great. Tomorrow I plan on looking for a job though, but you’re more than welcome to accompany me. It would be nice to have someone to chat with.]

Relief washed over Natsu once more. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. He was worried about typing something extremely embarrassing or something, but luckily it was more casual and hopefully not too desperate sounding. As he flopped back against his pillows, he focused his gaze on the ceiling. He had gotten so much information in one day and when he tried to go over it in his head, it only caused a headache to form. To his surprise, he felt his phone vibrate beside him. Who the hell was awake at this time and texting him back? Sitting up once more, Natsu picked up his phone and opened the message. 

“What the hell? He’s up!?” Natsu asked himself with a surprised expression on his face. “...Hopefully I didn’t wake him up with that message…” If he had, he would have felt terrible. 

[Gray: I will gladly accompany you tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it...also what are you doing up this late?]

Embarrassment washed over Natsu once again. From the way it sounded, he had woken Gray up, which made him feel bad almost instantly. Then again, maybe he was already awake. Maybe he couldn’t sleep as well. Still, it seemed a little too convenient. Before Natsu could even respond to the message, his stomach made a sound, showing that he was actually hungry. Eh, food was probably a good idea. He could respond after he got something to eat. Finally Natsu forced himself to get to his feet so he could make his way to the kitchen. He honestly hoped he had something or else he’d have to wander to a nearby twenty-four hour shop to get something and he wasn’t really wanting to go in the dark. 

Once in the kitchen, Natsu started to rummage through his cabinets and his refrigerator. Luckily he was able to find something. He ended up making a small portion of rice and some grilled vegetables, then he made his way to his living room and settled down on the couch. With his food and a drink placed on the coffee table, he pulled his phone out so he could reply to Gray before he started to eat. 

[N: I passed out on Levy earlier and just woke up. Now I can’t go back to sleep. I’m sorry if I woke you up…] 

After pressing send, Natsu grabbed the remote and turned on some random cartoon channel and then started to eat the small portion of food he made while he waited for Gray to text him back. However, he wouldn’t be surprised if the other didn’t text him back. It was pretty late after all. If he was unable to sleep after eating, he planned on either cleaning or playing some kind of game on his gaming system. A small part of him wanted Gray to text him back though, but he wouldn’t get his hopes up for it. To his surprise, instead of a text message his phone ended up ringing. 

“Huh?” He asked as he glanced toward the caller ID. “...Gray.” He didn’t hesitate like he thought he would. The pink haired omega instantly picked up the phone and accepted the call before pressing the phone to his ear. “Hey...you’re still up?” 

“You could say that…” Gray chuckled softly from the other end of the phone. “I kind of got tired of texting, plus this gave me an excuse to hear your voice, and also you didn’t wake me up. Don’t worry about that.” 

“Then what the hell were you doing up?” Natsu asked as he shoved a bite of food into his mouth. Maybe it had just been a coincidence, but that still bothered him. He didn’t know of anyone who would be up this late for no reason Maybe Gray had insomnia like he did, or maybe he just got up to get a drink or something and Natsu kept him from going back to sleep.

“Well, I have an assignment due on Monday and I haven’t even started it yet. It’s the last assignment of the semester before any testing starts so It’s pretty important.” Gray hated to admit that he was indeed one to procrastinate his work and now he was going to suffer the consequences of not sleeping much over the next couple of days. 

“And exactly how long have you had this assignment? Is it that paper from English class we got last month?” Natsu asked in a curious tone. If that was the one, he had done it right when they got it and already turned it in. He couldn’t bring himself to wait until the last minute to do his assignments. They had to be done almost instantly otherwise he would freak out about it. 

“Yeah, that’s the one. Did you already finish it?” Gray asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer to that. 

“I finished it a week after we got it. Did you forget about it or something or did you just not want to do it?” Natsu couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed that would be something he would have to keep an eye on if he was going to keep hanging out with Gray. He would have to make sure the raven didn’t pull anything like this again. 

“A little bit of both if I have to be honest. It was a big assignment I didn’t want to deal with at the time and then I ended up forgetting about it until after I got home today. I don’t know what made me remember, but honestly I’m glad I did. It would have ended badly if I didn’t finish it.” Gray laughed very softly. It seemed he was rather amused by this, but it was actually very serious. 

“If you need help on it, I can come and help you tomorrow after I’m done looking for a job. We’ll already be together anyways so it isn’t a big deal if I come and help you out.” Natsu couldn’t believe he had actually offered such a thing. That meant he would be going to Gray’s dorm room...oh he felt his nerves growing already. 

“Actually, that would be great if you don’t mind. I could honestly use the help…” Gray sounded as if he hated to admit that, but that didn’t bother Natsu too much. What bothered him was the fact that he offered to go back to Gray’s dorm with him. 

“Then that’s what we’ll do. I’d be more than happy to help you with it.” Natsu smiled to himself as he slowly finished his small bowel of food. “Meet me at the coffee shop where Levy works around nine, okay? We can job hunt for a couple hours and then head back to finish up that assignment. How does that sound?” 

“That sounds perfect… I’m really looking forward to it.” Gray finally let out a yawn. It seemed that he was growing fairly tired. Natsu didn’t feel right keeping him up any longer, though he knew he would probably be up for the rest of the day now. 

“Get some sleep. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Natsu smiled slightly as he stretched himself out on the couch. He’d probably get cleaning done and fold his laundry or something. It was probably better to do one of the two instead of playing some kind of game. 

“Thanks again, Natsu. I’ll see you soon.”

They both said good night and finally hung up. Silence filled Natsu’s living room once again, minus the low volume of the TV. Soon, he would be hanging out with Gray again. He couldn’t tell if he was excited or just nervous but either way he was definitely looking forward to it. Maybe he’d even find the courage to ask the raven if he felt the spark as well, but that was a long shot. He didn’t want the answer too soon, so maybe it was best to wait for now. They needed to become closer friends before anything else, but still Natsu couldn’t help but hope. 

‘Gray...did you feel it too?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Hey guys! I did not mean for an update to take this long, but I finally got chapter ten done!! Mahhh I've been trying for like a week and I'm so relieved that it's done! Thank you guys so very much for your patience! I'm hoping the next update won't take nearly as long as this one did, but it will just depend on how I feel! Anyways, again thank you for being so patient! Hopefully the next update will be done soon! Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next update!!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))

**Author's Note:**

> ((Hi everyone! I'm back with another Gray x Natsu story! I had originally written this for a writing sample on a roleplay account, and I ended up turning it into a fanfiction! I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter and I'll do my best to update again as soon as possible! Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you all in the next update!
> 
> ~~MaskedNinja))


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